Bubble forming and projecting toy



Aug. 27, 1968 K. B. RAVE.'

BUBBLE FORMING AND PROJECTING TOY 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept'. 29, 1965MWI/V701? Aug. 27, 1968 K. B. RAVE BUBBLE FORMING AND PROJECTING TOY 5Sheets-Sheet 2 I l l I l l I .HNLMMMHIIMINIIIU Filed sept. 29, I19165 y@pm fm2/frs I l g Aug- 27, 1968 K. E. RAVE 3,398,479

BUBBLE FORMING AND PROJECTING TOY Filed Sept. 29, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5gyda I I/ /1 l 1 I/l/I/l 1 l) y Wwf/J, ,724m QW United States Patent O3,398,479 BUBBLE FORMING AND PROJECTING TOY Karl B. Rave, Cincinnati,Ohio, assignor to Kenner Prodnets Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, acorporation f Delaware Filed Sept. 29, 1965, Ser. No. 491,165 7 Claims.(Cl. 46-8) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE A toy gun for forming bubbles froma bubble solution that basically comprises, for example, means forcreating a charge of compressed air, a reservoir to contain the bubblesolution, means defining a plurality of passageways interconnected withsaid compressed air means and said reservoir so that the bubble solutionis intimately admixed and aerated with compressed air, and nozzle meansinterconnected with the passageways and the compressed air means to formbubbles from the bubble solution and project same into the atmosphere.

This invention relates to toys and more particularly to a bubble blowingtoy by means of which bubbles may be both formed and projected into theair.

One of the objectives of the invention -has been to provide a toy,preferably having the appearance of a pistol, that is adapted to projectinto the air a rapidly moving stream of bubbles, as though they werebeing shot from the toy.

Another objective of the invention has been to provide a bubble blowingtoy having a leak-proof reservoir therein that is adapted to hold asupply of bubble forming solution from which vast numbers of bubbles maybe formed. Thus, should a child lay the toy aside on an easily stainedsurface, that surface is not marred by the bubble blowing solution, andthe toy is ready for play instantly upon being picked up again.

A further objective has been to provide a toy of the type set forth thatis operated by a charge of pressurized air, whether it be createdmechanically by means such as a piston or whether it be created by achild blowing into the toy, to do the following: to feed the bubbleblowing solution in the proper amounts from the reservoir to a bubbleforming part of the toy; to form the bubbles; then to blow the bubblesfrom the toy in the rapidly moving stream to which reference has beenmade.

Another objective of the invention has been to provide a toy gun of thetype set forth that is inexpensive to manufacture and yet which issuciently rugged to withstand the rough handling and abuse to which toysof this type are subjected in the course of play by children.

A further objective of the invention has been to provide a toy gun ofthe type set forth that is adapted to be made of molded plastic suchthat it is inexpensive to manufacture and relatively easy to assemble.

Other objectives and advantages of the invention will be more readilyapparent from a further consideration of the following detaileddescription of the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side-elevational view of a preferred embodiment of abubble-blowing toy having the appearance of a pistol and constructed inaccordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view `of a bubble solution reservoir cap for thetoy.

FIG. 3 is a cut-away view of the toy shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary lay-out view illus- ICC trating thetwo halves of the frontal portion of the toy gun shown in FIG. l.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 ofFIG. l.

FIG. 8 is a side-elevational View of another embodiment of the toyconstructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional View of the toy gun shown in FIG.8.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line 10-10 ofFIG. 8.

FIG. ll is a fragmentary cross-sectional View taken along line 11--11 ofFIG. 8.

As shown in FIGS. l and 3, a preferred embodiment of a toy gunconstructed in accordance with the present invention has a moldedplastic casing 1 having a barrel 2 with a chamber 3 therein, a hollowgrip 4 and a nozzlereservoir assembly generally denoted at 5. Followingconventional molding techniques the plastic casing 1 is yformed fromleft and right shells, denoted A and B respectively in FIG. 5, thedividing line of which is in a vertical plane through the approximatecenter of the gun. The shells are subsequently joined together by anappropriate adhesive.

To form a charge of compressed air in chamber 3, a trigger 6 ispivotally linked to a plunger assembly 7 by means of an arm 8 such thatthe trigger 6, upon activation, will impart to the plunger assembly 7 areciprocating motion. The plunger assembly 7 depicted has a stem 9pivotally connected to an upper end 10 of the arm 8 by means of a pin11. IIntegral with the forward end of the stem 9 are protuberances 12over which is placed, in a snap-on relationship, a exible piston cup 13by means of an aperture 14 in piston cup 13. The piston cup 13 is ofsuch dimensions that its outer periphery is in contact with the innerwall of barrel 2. Just to the rear of the piston cup 13 is a flange 15.The ange 15 is integral with stem 9 and of a diameter just less than theinside diameter of the barrel 2. It is to be noted that the axial lengthbetween the protuberances 12 and the flange 15 is greater than thethickness of the base of the piston cup 13.

The arm 8 is pivotally mounted within the hollow grip 4 by means of -apin 16. Between the pins 11 and 16 there is, integral with the arm 8, aprotuberance 17 having an aperture 18 therein. One end of a spring 19 isplaced through the aperture 18 and the other end is attached to -a pin20 which is held in a fixed relationship with an inside wall of thehollow grip 4. At the lower end 21 of the arm 8 is rotatably mounted aroller 23 by means of a pin 24 and of such dimension that it extendspast the tip of the lower end 21 of the arm S.

The trigger 6 is pivotally mounted in the casing 1 by means of pin 22.The trigger is hollow, receives therein the lower end 21 of arm 8 withroller 23, and is of such dimensions that it may be extended into thehollow grip 4.

Thus, fa charge of compressed air is formed in chamber 3 by a forwardstroke of the plunger assembly 7 and arm 8 which commences from aninitial position, as shown by the solid lines in FIG. 4, to a iinalposition, as indicated by the dashed lines of FIG. 4, and isaccomplished by movement of the trigger 6 into the hollow grip 4. Duringthe forward stroke the ange 15 provides a support for the exible pistoncup 13 so that the cup 13 does not deform rearward but maintains itssides in contact with the inner wall of the barrel 3 so that it operatesat high efficiency when forming a charge of compressed air. The spring19 provides the means by which the plunger assembly 7 is returned fromthe iinal position to the initial position. During t-he return stroke Y..3 of the plunger assembly 7 the sides of the piston cup 13 are able todeform frontward, ile., away from the inner wall of the barrel 3,because of the lack of support such as is provided by the ange 15 on theforward stroke, and because of the space between the base of the cup 13and the ange 15 that allows a loose and oppy movement of the cup 13 onthe return stroke. As a result, on the return stroke a new'charge of airis drawn into the barrel 3 through the aperture in piston cup 13. Thus,the piston cup 13 and the flange 15 cooperate to form a apper valvewhereby the valve is closed on the forward stroke of the plungerassembly 7 and open on the returnstroke thereof. The action of the appervalve also prevents the formation of a vacuum in the barrel 3 on thereturn stroke of the plunger assembly 7, thus eliminatingthe possibilityof bubble solution being sucked back intothevbarrel 3 from thenozzle-reservoir assembly on the return stroke.

The nozzle-reservoir assembly '5, as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, isintegrally related to the barrel 2 and the chamber 3. A reservoir 25,wholly within the barrel 2, is provided for the bubble solution fromwhich the bubbles are formed. The reservoir 25 is provided with anaperture 26 through which it may be filled with bubble solution, and acap 27 which fits in close frictional relationship with the aperturesuch that the bubble solution is held in the reservoir 25 withoutspilling therefrom, regardless of the position of the gun. Cap 27 hasmo-unted thereon a retaining strip 28 shaped such that the free endthereof may be inserted into and held in an aperture 29 in the barrel 2,whereby the cap 27 is held to the toy gun and does not become lost.

The bubbles are formed on and projected from an outwardly Haring nozzle30 that is at the outer end of the barrel portion of the gun. The nozzleand an air passageway system, to be described, are substantially thesame for both embodiments of the invention and are primarily shown byFIGS. 5 and 9, with other helpful figures being FIGS. 6 and 7 for thepreferred embodiment, and FIGS. and 11 for the other embodiment of theinvention. The charge of compressed air formed in the chamber 3 passesthrough an aperture 31 into -a manifold chamber 32 from which it issimultaneously disseminated in three directions for three distinct anddifferent purposes.

The rst purpose is to pressurize the bubble solution in reservoir 25, toaerate the bubble solution as it is transmitted to the nozzle 30, and totransmit the aerated bubble solution to the nozzle for mixing withadditional compressed air to form bubbles on the nozzle. This rstpurpose is accomplished by providing a first air pass-ageway 33, a firstconduit 34, and a connector passageway 49 wholly within right half shellB (see FIG. 5) Whereby compressed air passes from chambers 3 and 32 intoair passageway 33 by way of aperture 35, subsequently proceeding intothe reservoir 25 through an aperture 36. Thus, the bubble solution isplaced under a positive pressure. The pressurized bubble solutionthereafter exits from the reservoir 25 through an aperture 37 and istransmitted toward the nozzle 30 through the conduit 34. At a pointintermediate the conduit 34, the pressurized bubble solution is aeratedwith air supplied from the pasageway 33 and directly transmitted toconduit 34 through connector 49. The addition of the pressurized airfrom passageway 33 makes certain that liquid bubble solution is notprovided at the nozzle 30, but an aerated bubble solution providedinstead, thus ensuring that bubbles will issue from nozzle and not astream of liquid bubble solution.

The second purpose of the charge of compressed air is to form bubblesfrom the aerated bubble solution and compressed air at a mixing point 38adjacent the nozzle 30, the mixing point 38 being ywholly within n'ghthalf shell B. The bubbles so formed are transferred to nozzle 30 througha second conduit 39. The second purpose is accomplished by contactingthe aerated bubble solution, which has been transported from thereservoir 25 to the mixing point 38 through the first conduit 34, withcompressed air, which has been transmitted from the chambers 3 and 32through a second air passageway 40 to the mixing point 38. The secondair passageway 40 lies substantially in the left half shell A and the.compressed air passes from the chambers 3 and 32 through `aperture 41,behind Wall 42, and through aperture 43 into right halt` shell B,subsequently reaching mixing point 37.

The third and last purposebf the same charge of cornpressed air is toproject the bubbles so formed on the nozzle 30 into the atmosphere in`rapid succession. This third purpose is accomplished by ejectingcompressed air into the atmosphere through third air passageways orslots 44 which communicate directly with the chambers 3 and 32, and theatmosphere 45. There is a slot 44 in each of the half shells A and B.The slots 44 are located to the rear of nozzle 30 such that thecompressed air issuing from the slots 44 disengage the bubbles from thenozzle 30 in rapid succession, thus causing a stream of bubbles to beprojected into the atmosphere as though they were being shot from thegun.

Referring now to the other embodiment of the invention, it is bestdescribed by reference to FIGS. 8, 9, l0 and 1l. The mode of forming acharge of compressed air for use in the nozzle-reservoir assembly 5constitutes the primary difference between this embodiment and thepreferred embodiment. Additional differences are a third slot 46 amongthe third air passageways for use in projecting the bubbles from thenozzle 30, and a grip 47, by means of which the toy may be handled,formed from the walls of the reservoir 25 instead of a separatereservoir and grip as in the preferred embodiment.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the barrel 2 has an aperture 48at the end opposite the nozzle-reservoir assembly 5. This aperture opensinto the chamber 3 within the barrel 2 and is for an individual to blowin for purposes of creating a charge of compressed air.

-Once the charge of compressed air is formed in this embodiment, thefirst two purposes to which it is put are identical to and accomplishedin the same manner as the first two purposes previously described whensetting forth the preferred embodiment, thus giving the same result asis attained with the preferred embodiment as to those 'two purposes. Thethird purpose is identical to and accomplished in essentially the samemanner .as the third purpose described in the preferred embodiment withthe exception that there is a third air stream through slot 46, inaddition to the aii streams through slots 44, being directed against thebubbles formed on the nozzle such that they are rapidly disengagedtherefrom.

Having described my invention, what I de-sire to claim and protect byLetters Patent is:

1. A toy gun for forming bubbles from a bubble solution and projectingthe bubbles from said gun comprising means to create a charge ofcompressed air, a reservoir adapted to contain a bubble solution, meansdefining a rst air passageway from said compressed air means to saidreservoir whereby the bubble solution is placed under a positivepressure, means defining a conduit through which the pressurized bubblesolution may pass from said reservoir, a connector passagewayinterconnecting said compressed air means and said conduit at a pointintermediate the ends of said conduit for preliminarily aerating thebubble solution, means defining a second air passageway interconnectingsaid compressed air means and said conduit downstream of the connectorpassagewayconduit intersection for forming a bubble solution-air mixtureat the second air passageway-conduit intersection, nozzle meansinterconnected with said conduit and adjacent the second airpassageway-conduit intersection for forming bubbles from the bubblesolution-air mixture, and means defining a third air passagewayinterconnecting said compressed air means with the atmosphere adjacentsaid nozzle, whereby bubbles formed on said nozzle are projected fromsaid nozzle into the atmosphere.

2. A toy gun as set forth in claim 1 wherein said connector passagewayis interconnected between said first air passageway and said conduit.

3. A toy gun as set forth in claim 1 wherein said conduit is locatedsuch that said bubble solution exits from said reservoir at a pointbelow said compressed air means.

4. A toy gun as set forth in claim 3 wherein the intersection of saidconduit and `said second air passageway means is inside said nozzle, andsaid third air passage- Way terminates into the atmosphere just to therear of and outside said nozzle.

5. A toy gun as set forth in claim 1 wherein said compressed air meanscomprises a piston in a chamber for creating a charge of compressed air,trigger means for activating said piston, linkage means connecting saidpiston in operational relationship with said trigger means, and a springwhereby said piston and trigger means are returned to an initialposition after creating said charge of compressed air.

6. A toy gun as set forth in claim 1 wherein said compressed air meanscomprises a chamber having an aperture at the rearward end thereof andadapted such that a person blowing into said chamber creates a charge ofcompressed air therein.

7. In a toy gun for forming bubbles from a bubble solution andprojecting said bubbles from said gun, said gun having a barrel portionwith a cylinder therein, and means to create a charge of compressed airin said cylinder, a reservoir located below said cylinder, theimprovement comprising and adapted to contain a bubble forming solution,means dening a rst air passageway extending downwardly from saidcylinder to said reservoir, whereby bubble forming solution therein isplaced under a positive pressure, means defining a conduit extendingupwardly from said reservoir whereby said pressurized bubble formingsolution passes from said reservoir, means deiining a connectorpassageway interconnecting said rst air passageway and said conduit atpoints intermediate their ends whereby compressed rair is t-ransferredfrom said iirst air passageway to said conduit for aeration of saidbubble forming solution, means defining a second air passagewayextending forwardly from said cylinder with said second air passagewayinterconnecting `said cylinder and conduit, whereby said pressurizedbubble solution is mixed with said compressed air to form a bubblesolution-compressed air mixture at the intersection of said second airpassageway and said conduit, nozzle means adjacent said intersectionadapted to form bubbles from said bubble solution-compressed airmixture, said nozzle means being interconnected with said conduit andhaving a longitudinal axis substantially co-linear with the longitudinalaxis of said cylinder, and means dening a third passageway from saidcylinder that is positioned to direct a stream of compressed air towardbubbles formed on said nozzle, whereby said bubbles are blown therefrom.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,553,388 5/1951 Steiner et al.46-8 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

C. R. WENT ZEL, Assistant Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 ,398,479 August 27 1968 Karl B. Rave It is certified that error appears inthe above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebycorrected as shown below:

Column 5, lines 32 and 33, cancel "the improvement comprising and insertthe same before "a reservoir" in line 32, same column Signed and sealedthis 13th day of January 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Commissioner of Patents Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Attesting Officer

